Movement, Structure and the Work of Sanitago Calatrava

The exploration of how movement and stationary form interact is as old as the act of designing itself. The built structure must strive for stability and equilibrium - and yet doors, corridors and stairways, and elevators, train stations and airports all serve, in their many different ways,to facilitate the locomotion of man and things. But apart from this literal accommodation of movement, the built form can represent movement metaphorically, showing the phenomena of flight or growth. And buildings themselves, the result of construction and manufacturing processes, are products of movement, and this movement is perpetuated as the buildings evolve and grow. Through the work of Santiago Calatrava, this monograph approaches movement and the built form, a central theme in contemporary design. Calatrava has been captivated by the idea of movement, evident in his projects for bridges, buildings, sculptures and furniture, his doctoral dissertation at the ETH in Zurich, and even in his childhood sketches.